Saturday, March 28, 2015

Game 40: UMD vs Boston University (NCAA Northeast Regional Final)

MANCHESTER, N.H. -- High-end skill vs depth.

Experienced goaltending vs freshman.

What's the storyline for this regional championship? We're about to find out.

I believe this game comes down to UMD's ability to neutralize the top line of the top seed Terriers, centered by Hobey Baker favorite Jack Eichel. Teams have been able to play with Eichel, Evan Rodriguez, and Danny O'Regan (65 combined goals, 173 combined points) for spurts of games, but not for 60 minutes.

Can UMD's depth play a role in the game? Scott Sandelin wasn't averse to using all four forward lines in the regional semifinals against Minnesota. He won't be in the regional final, either, especially if Cal Decowski, Austyn Young, and Charlie Sampair can give the kind of quality shifts they gave Friday. Can Sandelin indirectly affect BU's choices for line matchups by consistently rolling three or four lines when BU wants to use its top line more?

We'll find out. To paraphrase Sandelin after Friday's win, if you can't get excited this time of year, something's wrong with you.